lip

noun \ ˈlip \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Definition of lip

1 : either of two fleshy folds that surround the mouth in humans and many other vertebrates and are organs of human speech essential to certain articulations; also : the red or pinkish margin of the human lip

2 slang : back talk

3 a : a fleshy edge or margin (as of a wound)

b : labium

c : labellum 1

d : a limb of a labiate corolla

4 a : the edge of a hollow vessel or cavity

b : a projecting edge: such as

(1) : the beveled upper edge of the mouth of an organ flue pipe

(2) : the sharp cutting edge on the end of a tool (such as an auger)

(3) : a short spout (as on a pitcher)

c : edge 2

5 : embouchure

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lipless

play \ˈlip-ləs\ adjective

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liplike

play \ˈlip-ˌlīk\ adjective

See lip defined for English-language learners

See lip defined for kids

Examples of lip in a Sentence

He had a cut on his lip.
She was nervously biting her lip.
the lips of a wound
the lip of a crater
the lip of a pitcher

Recent Examples of lip from the Web

McLeod hopes to sync up Eagles safety Rodney McLeod will take part in a lip-sync battle Saturday as part of the three-day CF Charities fundraising event for college preparedness and access to care programs for Philadelphia youngsters.

— les bowen, Philly.com, "Scary moment for Eagles receiver Greg Ward, but he seems to be OK," 7 June 2018
Though her spirits seemed to be up about the performance, there were still haters who claimed Halsey was lip-syncing during her asthma attack.

— melissa minton, Teen Vogue, "Halsey Says She Had an Asthma Attack During a Recent Concert," 29 May 2018
There's clearly a bigger story going on in Days Gone, and Sony Bend appears to leverage some incredible motion-capture and lip-sync technologies to bring its stories and actors to life in attractive fashion.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Days Gone world premiere hands-on: Have you played a zombie game before?," 22 May 2018
Customers lip-synced to songs, danced, and performed onstage—and all the while other patrons showered them with money.

— vince cerasani, Chicago Reader, "Music / Neighborhoods More rockin’ scenes from the Taste, the oldest black-owned club in the city," 8 May 2018
Her hands are in the air, hovering in front of her bright red lips, as if holding a deliciously messy corn envelope.

— sandra gonzalez, CNN, "Premium cable's first Latina showrunner is killing the norm with 'Vida'," 3 May 2018
The Huxtables laughed and bonded and debated and lip-synced.

— wesley morris, New York Times, "Cliff Huxtable Was Bill Cosby’s Sickest Joke," 26 Apr. 2018
These most often appear on the inside of cheeks, along with gums, the tongue, or the inner side of the lips.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Danish transdermal drug company opens North American office in San Diego," 25 Apr. 2018
Dirt caked her fingernails, tattoos decorated her arms, and a smile pulled at the corner of her lips.

— silvia foster-frau, San Antonio Express-News, "In hurricane’s aftermath, Puerto Rico moves from survival to revival," 20 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lip.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of lip

Middle English, from Old English lippa; akin to Old High German leffur lip and probably to Latin labium, labrum lip

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

lip

adjective

Definition of lip

1 : insincere

lip praise

2 : produced with the participation of the lips : labial

lip consonants

Examples of lip in a Sentence

part of the ritual of the awards ceremony is the nominee's lip praise for the performances of his or her competitors

Recent Examples of lip from the Web

Get Maybelline Lemonde Craze palette for $14 Solange Knowles in Burt’s Bees Burt’s Bees just proved it’s capable of way more than just lip balm.

— jessica teich, USA TODAY, "10 drugstore makeup products celebrities actually wore to the Met Gala 2018," 8 May 2018
The next step in their skin-care routines is lip balm.

— devon abelman, Allure, "Members of K-Pop Group Twice Reveals Their Skin-Care Secrets," 29 Jan. 2018
One beauty product would be moisturizer with glycolic acid and one makeup product would be lip gloss.

— dave quinn, PEOPLE.com, "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," 10 Apr. 2018
Expect some swelling the first day or two, so don't have lip injections the same afternoon as an important date or meeting.

— micaela english, Town & Country, "T&C's Guide To Injectables: Which Ones To Consider, Cost, And How Long They Last," 17 Feb. 2016
West Brom striker Jay Rodriguez is set to hire a lip reader and leading QC in a bid to clear his name over the FA's charge of alleged racial abuse, according to The Telegraph.

— SI.com, "Jay Rodriguez to Hire Lip Reader in Attempt to Prove Innocence After Allegations of Racial Abuse," 15 Feb. 2018
But there was something else weird about the performance: Fans pointed out throughout the performance that Lamar appeared to be lip synching.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Kendrick Lamar Was Unusually Quiet During His Football Halftime Performance," 9 Jan. 2018
Girls may prefer lip balm, pretty paper and pencils, jeweled pens, hair accessories and scented lotion.

— kate vaught thompson, Cincinnati.com, "Less candy, more imagination in Easter baskets," 22 Feb. 2018
In the United States, no one seemed to take the stiff-upper-lip approach more seriously than U.S. Surgeon General Rupert Blue.

— ashley halsey iii, Washington Post, "A killer flu was raging. But in 1918, U.S. officials ignored the crisis to fight a war.," 3 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of lip

1558

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

lip Synonyms

lip

verb

Definition of lip

lipped; lipping

transitive verb

1 : to touch with the lips; especially : kiss

2 : utter

3 : to lap against : lick

4 : to hit (a putt) so that the ball hits the edge of the cup but fails to drop in —usually used with out

intransitive verb

: to hit the edge of the cup without dropping in —used with out

the putt lipped out

Examples of lip in a Sentence

the waves, reflecting the red glow of the sunset, gently lipped the prow

Recent Examples of lip from the Web

When it’s puffed up, the tiny frog may look like a good-sized snake to its predators, which include birds, snakes, coatis, or the fringe-lipped or frog-eating bat.

— National Geographic, "Why This Frog’s Poisonous, Inflatable Backside Is Staring at You," 26 May 2018
After Woods lipped out from outside 40 feet on the par-3 8th hole, his 17th of the day, the crowd let out a collective groan, even though the miss clearly would have no bearing on the tournament outcome.

— edgar thompson, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Tiger Woods slips under cut line at TPC, trails leader Webb Simpson by 14 shots," 12 May 2018
McIlroy then missed a five-footer for par at the 5th hole and watched helplessly as another potential par-saver – this time at the 8th – lipped out from seven feet away.

— samuel chamberlain, Fox News, "Patrick Reed holds off Fowler, Spieth to win Masters," 8 Apr. 2018
Since there's no prototype yet, Studio OBA is staying tight-lipped as to just how the two homes connect.

— devin alessio, ELLE Decor, "Breaking Up? This Modern Home For Divorced Couples Splits In Two," 12 July 2016
Behind two metal- lipped incense wells, a stone statuette stood clasping together its palms and dreaming, with a tall tomb-slab at its back.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "As Innocuous as Plant No. 1," 10 Apr. 2018
That might not sound profound, but reports on UK employee compensation have outed some American companies that have been tight lipped here in the United States.

— bryce covert, The New Republic, "What the U.S. Can Learn from Britain on Equal Pay," 10 Apr. 2018
Best Lip Sync Assassin Winner: Alyssa Edwards Runners Up: Morgan McMichaels and Kennedy Davenport Who would the season 10 queens be most intimidated to lip sync against?

— patrick crowley, Billboard, "'RuPaul's Drag Race': The Season 10 Cast Picks the Best Alumni of All Time," 4 Apr. 2018
Pick transparent formulas, like a BB cream, sheer cream blush, and lip gloss.

— jennifer goldstein, Marie Claire, "7 Things Every Makeup Artist Wants You to Know," 22 Mar. 2017

First Known Use of lip

1589

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

lip Synonyms

Synonyms

bathe, lap, lave, splash, wash;

Related Words

bubble, gurgle, plash, ripple, slosh;

lip-

combining form

variants: or lipo-

Definition of lip-

: fat : fatty tissue : fatty

lipoid

lipoprotein

Origin and Etymology of lip-

New Latin, from Greek, from lipos — more at leave

LIP Defined for English Language Learners

lip

noun

Definition of lip for English Language Learners

: either one of the two soft parts that surround the mouth
: the edge of a cut or hole
: the edge of a container especially where it is slightly spread out

LIP Defined for Kids

lip

noun \ ˈlip \

Definition of lip for Students

1 : either of the two folds of flesh that surround the mouth

2 : the edge of a hollow container (as a jar) especially where it is slightly spread out

3 : an edge (as of a wound) like or of flesh

4 : an edge that sticks out

the lip of a roof

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lipped

\ˈlipt\ adjective

Medical Dictionary

lip

noun \ ˈlip \

medical Definition of lip

1 : either of the two fleshy folds which surround the opening of the mouth in humans and many other vertebrates and in humans are organs of speech essential to certain articulations; also : the pinkish or reddish margin of a human lip composed of nonglandular mucous membrane and usually exposed when the mouth takes on its natural set

2 : an edge of a wound

3 : either of a pair of fleshy folds surrounding an orifice

4 : an anatomical part or structure (as a labium) resembling a lip

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